In the lobby of their Houston headquarters, the Enron Corporation proudly showcased the company’s core values in beautifully-etched marble: Integrity, Communication, Respect, Excellence. Given their subsequent (and massive) implosion, this would be funny if it weren’t so sad. While obviously an extreme example, Enron’s approach to values is actually quite similar to many organizations across the country, i.e. nice-sounding words on the wall with little influence on the everyday behavior of employees. Ann Rhoades is out to change that. As cofounder of Jet Blue Airways – an organization that, like Apple, Google, and Zappos, is as known for their culture as their products – Rhoades made values front-and-center in every major decision from hiring to customer service. Today, as the author of Built on Values: Creating an Enviable Culture that Outperforms the Competition, and as founder and president of People Ink, Rhoades helps other companies take their core values off the wall and in to practice. Below Rhoades discusses the early days of Jet Blue, what’s missing from corporate leaders today, and why you shouldn’t spend your time on C-Players.

1.) You were one of the five founders of Jet Blue Airways in 1999. What do you remember most about this period and what advice do you have for fellow entrepreneurs reading this column?

One of the things I remember most was that it was a very difficult time for a start-up. Not only had a number of new airlines failed in the previous 12 months, but the unemployment rate in New York was hovering around 4%. In addition, we had promised to build an airline that “Would bring humanity back to air travel” and this obviously necessitated getting the right people on the bus! With the low unemployment rate and the need for real experience in the maintenance and pilot areas especially, this posed a challenge. But we never gave in on finding the right people and looked for and hired only talented, values-driven players. For other start-ups, I’d say spend the time and effort necessary to hire the right people. The CEO, President, and senior officers at Jet Blue met every potential hire in the pilot ranks and talked about the dream we had. We created enthusiasm and, frankly, because of this enthusiasm we were able to get “off the ground” with A-players on board.

2.) From bailouts to Occupy protests, the past few years have been a rough patch for corporate leadership to say the least. In your opinion, what are executives missing that has gotten us to this place of deep discontent / distrust?

It has been my experience in working for and with great organizations that the majority of leaders are not those described as “greedy” in the press. Leaders who focus on “me” rather than “us,” who spend money lavishly, and pay themselves based on what their egos tell them they are worth in lieu of their performance end up losing in the long term. Humility is the greatest virtue a leader can posses. This doesn’t mean they are not self-confident - great leaders are very self-confident. It simply means they understand success is built by great teams and they share their success with their teams.

3.) What's the best way for leaders to align employee behaviors with company values? It's one thing to hang a mission statement on the wall, but how do you get people to actually live it?

Many companies fail to define specific non-negotiable behaviors behind each of their values and/or vision statements. This will help everyone understand what the playing field is. It also gives you an evaluation tool when assessing performance. Performance should be defined as getting the right results, the right way. If people behave in a way which mirrors the values of the organization, both will succeed. You may have a great technical player who does not behave in an acceptable manner. Even so, that player needs to be told to change his or her behavior or leave. I suggest sending their resume to the competition. It has worked for me in the past! They are not worth the effort it takes to change in most cases.

4.) In your experience, what's the best way to make an employee feel valued?

To constantly reinforce the right behaviors and to recognize them in writing and verbally in group settings - recognition is the key to getting repeat performance. Also, spend more time with your A-players and quit spending time with your C-players. It is difficult but the rewards are much greater.

5.) If you could go back and give career advice to your 20-year-old self, what would it be?

Never believe you cannot do anything. When someone you work for offers you an opportunity to grow – always take it. Do not be afraid to color outside the lines - that is what risk takers do best. Enjoy your career wherever it takes you - loving what you do is always more important than pay, and that will come if you do it well.

Emily Bennington is author of Who Says It’s a Man’s World: The Girls’ Guide to Corporate Domination and the founder of AWAKE EXEC mindful leadership coaching for women. Her work deep dives into what Stephen Covey famously referred to as “the space” between stimulus and respo...